Dragons of the Past
by 5 Years Passed
Summary: Iroh and Zuko sneak back into the fire nation after Zuko and Aang are mysteriously infected with a deadly poison. Kaori, a healer of the fire nation, gathers the gang and Zuko under her roof to heal the poisoned ones. With Azula hot on their heels...
1. The Reunion

**Rhea: Yes, I know... another one... I can't help it. But don't worry! I get more and more inspired EVERY DAY meaning new chapters every week! And more than one! Aren't I amazing? XD Just kidding.**

**Freddy: You amaze me sometimes...**

**Rhea: Be happy, Freddy, be very happy...**

**Freddy: -whispers- she's even writting a novel...**

**Rhea: -glares- yes... I'm writing a novel. About two theives...**

**Kaira: DISCLAIMER: Rhea only owns Kaori and the plot so don't sue. And a little note: this was all thought up at the end of the second season, before the third started (AKA yesterday), and everyone else thinks Aang is dead but we don't care because we aren't dealing with everyone else yet; just the people in my lovely story at this point and time.**

**Rhea: o.O I really need to end my multiple personalities...**

* * *

"Hello!" An old, tattered voice rang through the night wind. It was pouring down rain, near midnight. Iroh shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he stood in the rain carrying… something. He found himself at the door of what looked like a well light, welcoming home in the middle of a forest, far from any cities deep in the fire nation. "Some one! Please! Answer this door!" He knocked on the door loudly once again. The door had a red dragon drawn upon it with inscriptions above it. The house wasn't too big nor too small but kept the elegance of a mansion or well kept castle.

Foot steps were heard running inside the house as a door inside the house was opened. "I'm coming! Take a breath!" A young, feminine voice called, irritated and sleepy. The door slid open to reveal a young, tall, and fit woman with deep red hair pulled tight into a bun with loose, long bangs hanging in her face. She had cold, grey eyes and very pale skin. She wore thick black eyeliner on her top and bottom eyes and deep red lipstick with no cover up or any of that crap. She was wearing a big, loose black skirt that dragged behind her feet and a shirt that tied like a karate shirt only black with embroidered designs. The sleeves reached just past her elbows.

Iroh gave a sigh of relief and a huge grin to the young woman. "Kaori!" The old man breathed out.

The girl's eyes widened as she looked from the creepily happy old man to what he was carrying over his shoulder. She gasped, "Zuko!" After another split second she opened the door fully to let them both in.

"Thank you, child." Iroh said as he and his nephew fell to the floor. Zuko was unconscious.

Kaori closed the door behind them quickly and ran into a nearby room and brought back some towels. They were a soft maroon with embroidered ends. She handed one to Iroh and folded the other and placed it under Zuko's head. "What happened, Iroh?" she asked after a minute of watching the old man dry himself off.

"We snuck back into the fire nation last night." Iroh simply answered as he took off a huge brown over coat and hung it up next to the door. "But that's not important at the moment. You're a skilled healer of the fire nation still, correct?"

"Yes, Iroh. But I'm loyal to the fire nation. Have you and prince Zuko not been banished from the fire nation?" Kaori stood up slowly.

"Surely you wouldn't put your country before your dearest friends, Kaori. Zuko needs your help; can you really befriend him?" Iroh gave Kaori a nice warm smile.

Kaori sighed and looked down and the slightly peaceful looking Zuko. "Iroh… My freedom is of utmost importance to me, as was Zuko's reputation and position in this kingdom not too long ago." She looked away from him.

"Kaori… I know what the Avatar and his friends are up too. You have nothing to worry about." Iroh patted her back and offered her to invite him into a living room.

"Helping you could cost me everything, Iroh." she refused to invite him any further into the house.

"You've already taken us out of the rain, Kaori." The old man looked at Zuko, "the poor boy doesn't know whom to be loyal to; his own destiny or the one that had been planned for him since his birth. He needs someone's opinion and advice he'll listen to. I've tried but he just won't listen."

"Iroh… you've been a kind and caring friend but I can't let you stay here. If Azula's following you like I've heard; she'll come here and I'll be treated to an even worse punishment than death. I know her hate for me." Kaori sighed.

"Don't worry about her. I know you can flip her on her back in a second." Iroh encouraged Kaori then he sighed. "What if I left… and you help Zuko. I won't return and you won't have to worry about anything."

"Zuko was banished as well. I can't hide him, Iroh." She sat on a step that was in front of a door that connected the first room to the rest of the house, the door was closed.

"If someone comes, Zuko will put them in their place. He's become a great fire bender and an excellent strategist. Besides, I know you can bend lighting; I've seen it. That's enough for you and Zuko to work together to fend off even Azula." Iroh gave himself a mental pat on the back, proud of what he's taught his nephew.

Kaori sighed again, "Iroh…"

"Alright, alright. You won't have to ask us to leave again. I'll just gather up Zuko and we'll be on our way." Iroh put on a depressed face and slid open the door to the outside world. It was pouring even harder than before. A large crack of thunder rolled over the house causing it's every wooden plank to quake with the assistance of lightning brightening the sky to daylight for a split second.

It was as dark as midnight again and Iroh was putting on his over coat. He started humming a lonely tune in G minor, "The night will be lovely once the storm passes." Iroh looked at Kaori before threatening his back with the weight of Zuko. "Do you still stay up all night gazing at the distant moon, Kaori?"

"What?" Kaori asked, thinking that was the most random, unimportant question ever.

"When you and Zuko were little, you'd meet up on a hill in the dead of night and gaze up at the moon. You'd talk and giggle till early morning then run back to where you both belonged. Remember?" Iroh grinned as he attempted to pick up the unconscious boy but his back gave in as he moaned in pain, he put his hand on his hip.

"What's the point of this question?" Kaori asked sternly.

"I caught Zuko staring up at the moon the other night. That's when he made a very conscious decision to come back to the fire nation. Something tells me he wanted to see you." Iroh cracked his back.

"Me?" Kaori blinked. -

"Oh, it was just a guess. He never says anything he wants to say. Or thinks of saying for that matter. He doesn't talk to me about anything." Iroh bent down to pick up his nephew again. "Just don't hold it against him; I was guessing on one fact alone."

Kaori closed her eyes and bent her head down. -

"Well… I'll be getting plenty of exercise tonight, won't I Kaori?" The old man laughed as he stood under the doorway, letting some of the droplets of rain hit his face. "It was nice to see you again. I'll be sure to tell Zuko what a fine, beautiful, young woman you've become. Thanks for the slight resting place, by the way." He turned his head back to the girl whom was still sitting on the step, her head bent and eyes closed. "Later Kaori." He stepped out into the rain.

"Wait!…"

"Hmm?" Iroh turned back, letting water drool over his head and face, looking back into the warm and dry home.

Kaori sighed and stood up, "Just stay till the rain stops."

"Aha!" Iroh danced back into the little room, "I knew you'd come through with your real rebel self, Kaori! I'm so glad your on our side."

"I'm not." Kaori said coldly as she closed the door again. "Iroh… you'll leave when the rain stops. I hope that's alright with you. I'll help Zuko and send him away when I think he's ready."

"Kaori…" Iroh shifted his weight under Zuko again.

"Please… It's the only way to keep this at minimum. I wouldn't forgive myself if you showed back up here in a couple of days, or Zuko, and told me the other had died."

"Why would you say something like that?"

"I know this forest; it's quite vast and without the proper needs fulfilled, you'll die. It's even more harsh on every living thing under the conditions of a storm." she sighed and took off the sandals she was wearing. "Well, come in. We can place Zuko on a bed and you'll tell me what happened while the storm leaves us."

Iroh smiled warmly at Kaori.

* * *

Zuko blinked awake. -_Where am I?-_ He sat up to find himself in a warm room with sliding glass doors as windows opening to a scene of a well grown and natured garden with many purples, reds, and greens. Water was also seen in the quick uptake of the scenery. He looked around the room. He found his clothing folded up, next to a single sliding wooden door opposite of the glass ones. He was in a Japanese style bed with a white under sheet. The top was a deep crimson. He heard natural running water outside the sliding windows. He saw two yellow butterflies dance around some purple flowers near a tiny waterfall causing the sound. -_This place… it's peaceful.-_

Kaori was in her peaceful kitchen. She was cooking something over a stove. The smell of sugar and cinnamon came into the room Zuko was in. He stood up silently and looked around again. -_Sugar and cinnamon… that's familiar…-_ Kaori and stripped him to just his pants to keep him from getting cold. He slid open the wooden doors that opened up to more of the inside of the house. He saw another bedding folded up and placed in a corner. He looked around more to find a grey stone fireplace on the left wall. The wood was recently burned but out now. He stepped into the room to find a coffee table closer to the right side of the room with a tray with tea ornaments on it. They had been used not too long ago as well. There were more sliding glass windows that led out onto a grey stoned porch with two chairs and a side table under a roof that went about six feet from the house. The stone stopped where the roof stopped. Beyond that was the same scene Zuko saw from the windows in the room he was previously in.

Zuko looked to the opposite wall form the windows to see a doorway minus the door into what looked like a kitchen. He heard footsteps from the kitchen. He assumed it was his Uncle Iroh and walked less than cautiously into the kitchen. He nearly jumped when he saw a woman cooking instead of his uncle. "Who are you?" He asked, looking at the back of Kaori. She had been wearing the same thing as the night before, her hair in a loose pony tail, the hair beyond the ponytail falling in front of her left shoulder. It reached a few good inches below her chest.

Kaori nearly jumped to the sound of Zuko's voice but turned around calmly with almost a smile on her face. "Good morning."

Zuko's eyes widened when he recognized the girl, "K-Kaori!"

"Charming, you remember my name." She said in a sarcastic tone. She went back washing a pot she had been using to cook.

"What… How… Where's my Uncle?" Zuko decided to ask first.

"Try not to talk too loud." Kaori replied a she put the cleaned and dried pot into a cabinet. She turned back to him, "He left after it stopped raining. It was his idea in the first place, I just agreed."

Zuko looked at the breakfast Kaori had made. "Why did you let me stay?"

Kaori handed him a plate with red and black dragons painted along the boarder, "You were poisoned, Zuko. Either through food or through an open cut or wound on your body. Try not to get too hot tempered or all my hard work will have been for nothing. It's a stubborn poison that takes lots of medicine, time, and patience to get rid of. If you jump about and react the way I assume you still do, you'll never be cured."

Zuko looked from the plate to the food, then to her, "That's a very cheerful way of saying 'I'm glad you're alive, Zuko'."

"You need to eat something. I made this for you, so eat 'till you're stomach is satisfied." Kaori sat down on a bright red pillow seat.

Zuko sighed and sat down on another bright red pillow . He put the plate on the table and picked up chopsticks. He took two pancakes, three slices of fried bacon, a slice of buttered and cinnamon toast, and three sausages. He began eating but after about five minutes of silence he stopped, sipped half a cup of milk and looked over at Kaori whom had found a paint brush and parchment to write on. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" Kaori asked as she dipped her brush into a cup of ink and continued writing without looking up at him.

"Helping me. You know what will happen if you're caught." Zuko ate a piece of bacon.

Kaori took a while to reply. "Zuko… I-" There was a knock on the door. "Great." She said with sarcasm.

Zuko jumped up but Kaori placed her hand on his shoulder and whispered, "Go into the bathroom, people can't see though the windows in there." Kaori walked into the hall and opened a door and made a movement telling Zuko to hurry up and get inside.

"What about you?" He whispered as he followed her.

"Don't worry about it, just don't make any noise, sit on the floor and meditate or something." She whispered back and closed the door behind him. The knock sounded again. "I'm coming!" She yelled as she went into the first room and closed the door shutting the rest of the house away from the tiny room. She put on her sandals quickly and cracked the door open.

"What took you so long?" An irritated, young girl's voice asked.

* * *

**I LOVE TOPH... and SOKKA... and ZUKO... and many mooooooooooooore... Please Review!!**


	2. The Brady bunch on Steroids

**Rhea: Hell Yeah! Chapter 1 and 2 in one night!**

**Freddy: You're insane...**

**Rhea: Shut up... o.O -clutches stomach- damn... cramps...**

**Kaira: -pats Rhea's back- It's something all girls must suffer...**

**Rhea: DAMMIT! WHY WASN'T I BORN I GUY?! I'd so be on teh football team this year...**

**Freddy: -sweatdrop-**

* * *

"What took you so long?" An irritated, young girl's voice asked. 

"Toph, be nice." A calmer girl's voice followed.

Kaori looked from a girl with long, dark brown hair put back in a braid wearing water tribe clothing to a shorter and younger girl with short black hair wearing earth kingdom clothing. Kaori blinked in almost disbelief, "May I help you?" she asked as she saw a boy walking towards the girls that looked like the calmer girl with a tiny pony tail and more water tribe clothing.

"Yes, can you tell us where to find the fire healer named Kaori?" the calmer girl asked.

"That depends on whose looking for her." Kaori replied sternly. -

"We need to find her right away! It's very important, private business." the boy joined the conversation.

Kaori sighed, "I'm Kaori. What is it?"

"We're friends of the Avatar. We heard that you could help us." the girl quickly started.

"The Avatar?" Kaori asked. -

Zuko paced the bathroom but stopped when he recognized the voices. -_So… the Avatar is here? This isn't good for my low profile. Azula's definitely following them and they've lead her here… Azula despises Kaori… I have to get her out of here…-_ He decided that hiding from the fire nation was less important than keeping his friend safe and opened the door to the hall.

Kaori jumped when she heard the door slam open. "That's not good…" she said as she looked back at the door leading to the rest of her house.

"Oh… I'm sorry. It seems that you're busy with someone else, we'll just come back in a few hours." the girl said kindly.

"That's probably a good idea. How about a couple of-" Kaori started.

"Kaori!" Zuko opened the door that lead to the rest of the house. Kaori flinched. The guests gasped as they recognized Zuko. "What are THEY doing here? You aren't in league with the Avatar, are you?!"

"What? No. Zuko, don't cause trouble, please." Kaori asked calmly. "Remember what I said earlier?"

"Zuko!" the boy yelled. "Oh no! He's gonna turn us in!" he started freaking out, "Now we'll never get Aang cured!" he jumped about.

"Sokka, shut up." the girl said, "Why would Zuko turn us in? He's not even supposed to be here."

"Yeah!" the first girl chimed in teasingly, "If he turns US in, he'll turn himself in."

Zuko opened the door fully to see a freaking out Sokka and an unconscious Avatar. "Why don't I just finish him now? Then I can bring him straight to my father and he'll welcome me home. He'll never know I snuck back into the fire nation."

Kaori sighed but grabbed Zuko's arm, "Zuko. You can't fight right now." Sokka stopped freaking out.

"Why's that?" the first girl asked.

"Because he's ill. And by the looks of it, so is this so called Avatar." Kaori answered. "This is ridiculous but you should all come in… and that bison… thing… is going to be hard to hide…"

"Are you serious?! You're letting illegal people into your home?" Zuko asked.

Kaori lifted her eye brow at him. Zuko groaned and stormed back into the house, trying to keep from setting something on fire.

* * *

Kaori had just finished giving all the medicines to Aang as she did Zuko the day before. She had gotten Zuko to go cool off in the room he had awaken in. Aang was in another room similar to it but without the windows and the scenery. Kaori made tea for the other three guests and got their names to be Toph, Katara, and Sokka in the order they appeared. She sat down with them to get their side of the story, as she did with Iroh the night before while they waited for the rain to end. 

"So you're childhood friends with Zuko?" Katara asked after sipping her tea.

"If you want to call it that. We weren't allowed to be friends really; our mothers had something against each other and we had to be quiet about being friends. The only people who know that we know each other are Iroh and Azula. No doubt she's told her posy though. Azula killed her mother but not before taking the trait of hating me first." Kaori answered while pouring tea for Sokka.

"Wow. Why doesn't Zuko hate you too then? I mean his family hates you and he seems to take after them." Sokka said bluntly.

"Because he met me before he knew about the feud."

"What about his uncle?" Toph finished her cup of tea.

"His uncle followed Zuko to our meeting place one night and decided not to turn him in. He's really a nice guy; kind of like a Quaker."

"But how did you get Zuko to listen to you? He never listens to his uncle!" Sokka blurted again.

"Because I told him he'd be ill forever if he acted out of anger. He used to burn random objects when he was angry and fighting or running about would weaken the medicine and strengthen the poison. You can only attempt to treat a poison like his so many times before it spreads throughout his whole body and kills him. It's a good thing it spreads slower than molasses because I know I'll have to treat him more than once." Kaori tried not to giggle.

"Wait, didn't you say that Aang was infected with the same poison as Zuko?" Katara asked.

"Yes, but the poison has spread to a lot more of Zuko's body than in Aang's. Aang will heal a lot quicker than Zuko so there's nothing to worry about." Kaori smiled at Katara. -

"Katara, I don't really trust this girl. She IS friends with Zuko and she put all sorts of things inside Aang. What if they were to keep Aang ill or even kill him?" Sokka "whispered" to his sister.

"Relax, fire cracker." Kaori said as she got up, "I'm not on the fire nation's side. I could care less about the subject. I help heal some of their army members from time to time so they leave me to my peace but that's it." She turned to Toph, "Will you come with me, Toph? We need to think of a way to hide Appa."

"Sure…" Toph got up and followed Kaori outside.

"See, Sokka? She's neutral." Katara said to Sokka.

"Yeah but she's a friend of Zuko, and he isn't." Sokka said rudely.

"Sokka, just wait and see; if Aang's body is in danger he'll go into to Avatar State." Katara said getting annoyed with her brother.

A door opened and Zuko walked out. He looked around for a moment. Sokka was holding his breath. Katara was watching him. He looked at the siblings and after an awkward silence asked, "Where's Kaori?" with a harsh tone.

"Gag!" Sokka hid behind his sister.

"She went outside with Toph to hide Appa." Katara replied, her hands placed calmly in her lap.

"Oh." He disappeared into the kitchen and a few minutes later walked back into his room and slammed the door shut.

"Maybe we should remind him to keep his temper low." Sokka said after another minute.

"Sokka." Katara warned.

* * *

"There." Toph relaxed her body after calmly forming a huge hole in the ground big enough for Appa to move around some. 

"Alright, Appa. Time to get into the hole." Kaori patted the huge bison. He groaned and moved himself into the hole. Toph slid one foot in front of the other and slowly put her hands shoulder length apart, raised them above her head, and slowly closed her hands together. At the same time, gravel moved over the hole causing flat land again. But there was a bubble underground cozy and roomy for Appa.

"Thank you, Toph. We'll have to figure out how to get food to him though. We were lucky there wasn't anyone around this time." Kaori turned Toph towards her house.

I can sense the hole Appa's in. When we get back to the house, I'll make an under ground passage to it." Toph offered.

"Are you sure that's not too much on you?" Kaori asked as she gathered Appa's hair that had been left behind.

"It's fine with me." Toph snorted as she felt the heat of Kaori burning the evidence of Appa.

They quickly got home and Kaori made lunch. She served Toph, Katara, and Sokka and went to Zuko's door. She knocked on it, "Zuko, lunch is ready… if you want it." It was silent, the three guests were listening carefully as well. "Zuko?" She knocked again and sighed. "Zuko, if you don't answer, I'm coming in."

"I'm not hungry." He replied.

Kaori sighed again, "I'm coming in." She cracked the door.

Zuko threw his shoe as the door and Kaori winced, "Just leave me alone."

Kaori rubbed her face and closed the door. She went back into the kitchen and made a plate of spiced noodles, three flavors of sushi, and some rare cooked steak and chicken. She also grabbed a cup, poured some tea, and placed chopsticks on the side of the plate.

"Who's that for?" Sokka asked, "You don't look like you can eat that much."

Katara jabbed her elbow into Sokka's stomach. Kaori giggled lightly and went back to Zuko's door and knocked on it, holding the plate with her other hand.

"I said 'leave me alone'!" Zuko yelled in reply.

"Stop being immature and let me in." Kaori said sternly.

"I said no!" She opened the door and slid in anyways. He was standing in front of the windows, his arm up against the wall leaning on it. He turned and looked at her as she closed the door behind her. "You really don't know the definition of 'no', do you?!"

"Calm down, Zuko." She said calmly as she kneeled down and put the plate on the ground next to the unmade bed.

"Why should I?" Zuko asked crossly.

"Because if you don't, you won't ever be healthy again. Zuko, I'm not trying to help you just because I want to and you're my friend. Your uncle almost forced me to do so. He's out in the forest hiding somewhere, waiting for you to heal so you can go find him and get somewhere safe like Ba Sing Se."

"I'll never go back there. Besides, when I heal, I'm killing the Avatar and bringing him to my father!" He said with a tightened fist.

Kaori sighed and looked at the unmade bed.

* * *

"Do you think she'll be ok?" Katara asked. 

"Why wouldn't she be?" Sokka replied after swallowing shrimp sushi.

"Zuko's not being very… friendly… to her. He shouldn't treat her like that. Why can't he see that she really cares about him even though she won't verbally admit it?" Katara ranted defensively.

"Chill, Katara. It's not our problem." He ate another piece of sushi.

* * *

Zuko sighed and dropped his head to lean it against the window. Kaori watched silently for a second after making the bed. "If you calm your voice, the Avatar's friends won't be able to hear what you say, Zuko." She said after a while. 

He found his way to sitting cross legged across from her, picking at the food. "I thought you said you couldn't cook for shit." He said after taking a piece of steak and eating it.

"Well, it took me a few years." She said and looked at him, "Why won't you tell me what's wrong?"

"You didn't ask." He said eating some more.

"You weren't like this before the Avatar and his friends came." She said, still looking at him.

He looked at her but then back at his plate as he made all the noodles vanish into his mouth.

She sighed, "Zuko, I can only find and fix physical problems without any information given. I'm not physic."

"I didn't ask you to help me." He said as he cleared the chicken.

"I know you didn't." She looked at the dust on the floor and remembered that the room hadn't been used in a while.

Zuko finished the drink and handed the plate and cup back to her. "Thanks…"

Kaori took up the plate and cup and got up, "Zuko?"

He looked up at her, "What?"

"If you ever do want to tell me, I'll listen." She closed the door behind herself. She heard him grunt as she went back to the kitchen and put the dishes into the sink.

"Hiya, Miss Kaori!" Aang shouted excitedly.

Kaori dropped the dishes into the sink and jumped. "…Hi…"

"So what were you and Zuko doing in that room?" He asked bluntly, lifting his eyes brows.

"Err… what?" She tried not to blush.

Zuko nearly choked on his tongue as he jumped up after hearing Aang as well.

"Aang!" Katara scolded.

"What? She's blushing so it's gotta be something good!" Aang said as he turned back to Kaori, "Come on? Won't you tell the Avatar?"

"No! The information shared between my patients and I is completely confidential." Kaori said.

"Riiiiiiiight." Aang popped a piece of sushi in his mouth, "That's a good way of putting it."

A door slammed open, almost breaking under the strength and Kaori winced. "Avatar!" Zuko yelled as he stormed into the kitchen.

"Wha!" Aang yelled in shock and hid behind Katara. Katara and Sokka were cowering as well.

"How DARE you think such things about my friend! Now I AM going to kill you!" Fire flowed around his palms.

"Zuko!" Kaori tried to yell over him, nearly having a heart attack. -_I knew this wasn't going to be good for my health._-

Toph sighed, "Guys are jerks. All of them."

"I agree, Toph. Let's get out of here." Katara dragged Toph away from the scene into a room with two beds laid out for them.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Sokka ran after them but was hit in the face by the door that closed before him. "I'll just go… sharpen my boomerang or something…"

"That's what you say every time, Zuzu!" Aang teased his enemy.

"This time's different!" He threw fire at Aang but he dodged it. The fire vanished before hitting the floor.

"Play nice inside!" Aang teased as he ran from the kitchen, to the living room, and out into the back porch of grey stone. Zuko followed him and threw two more balls of fire at Aang.

"Zuko! Aang! Stop!" Kaori ran after the two.

"Don't mess up Miss Kaori's garden, Zuzu. She worked hard on it!" Aang floated above the pond with his ball of air.

Zuko snorted, "Don't talk to ME about hard work!" he puffed fire in Aang's face causing him to lose balance and fall into the pond.

"Boys! Stop!" Kaori tried to yell as loud as she could.

Aang jumped out of the pond and over the fence that encompassed the garden. Zuko followed and before Kaori could react, they were gone.

"Are you kidding?" Kaori asked aloud. She ran back into the house and put on her sandals and rushed outside.

"Hey wait!" Sokka said, running outside and to her side. "What's wrong?"

"Those idiots took off fighting!" Kaori said, looking frantically around.

Why's that so important?" Sokka asked carelessly. "They do it all the time."

"If Zuko keeps his heart rate that high, he's going to die, Sokka!" Kaori looked at the boy almost with tears in her eyes.

* * *

**Rhea: Well, I hope you like this one... I must admit, my writing is getting better I believe...**

**Freddy: I'll say...**

**Rhea: GO SUCK AN EGG**

**Freddy: O.o aren't YOU edgy this evening?**

**Rhea: Dammit... whats a chick got to do to get some reviews?**


	3. The Explanation of Love Triangles

**Rhea: YAY CHAPTER 3!! I so rock**

**Freddy: save me...**

**Rhea: Shut up.**

**Freddy: MAKE ME!**

**Rhea: I WILL!!**

**Freddy: o.o ...**

* * *

"If Zuko keeps his heart rate that high, he's going to die, Sokka!" Kaori looked at the boy almost with tears in her eyes.

Sokka froze.

A tree fell not too far away, "This way!" Sokka pointed to the fallen tree. They ran to the area where the fallen tree was. They found Zuko choking Aang, standing on a high branch in a very tall tree. "Aang!" Sokka cried out.

"ZUKO!" Kaori gasped for air, "GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE RIGHT THIS SECOND!"

Zuko loosened his grip on Aang, horrified of his friend. He let go of Aang who grabbed onto the branch before falling. Zuko jumped down to Kaori obediently.

Kaori straightened up, a little out of breath, "Zuko, if you don't stop now, you're going to… die." She choked out.

Aang gasped as he met up with them on the ground.

"I don't think so. I'm just fine, and Aang's about to d-eh!" Zuko fell forward.

Kaori gasped and caught him before he hit the ground.

"Aang, I think we should leave them alone… and not cause any more trouble…" Sokka whispered to Aang. Aang nodded.

"You two need to get back inside before someone sees you. We'll be fine." Kaori said in her naturally calm voice.

"Right, let's go Sokka." the two disappeared back into the house.

* * *

"You mean Kaori and Zuko are all alone out there?!" Katara asked, jumping up. 

"She said they'd be fine, Katara. Kaori's smart and resourceful." Aang said calmly.

"Hey, where's Toph?" Sokka randomly asked.

"She's building an underground tunnel to where Appa's hidden." Katara sighed.

"Oh." Sokka replied.

"I'll go help her." Aang got up.

"No, Aang. You of all people need to stay inside and calm. If you don't, you won't get better." Katara said sternly.

"And if you don't get better, you'll die." Sokka added unfeelingly.

"WHAT?!" Katara shouted.

"Don't get mad at me! Kaori said so!" Sokka cowered.

"It's fine." Aang broke in, "I'll behave from now on." Aang looked into his tea cup.

"What's wrong, Aang?" Katara asked.

"Back in the forest. Kaori, she… she looked like she was about to cry." Aang said uncomfortably.

"Yeah… I saw that too, but why?" Sokka added.

"Because she likes Zuko." Katara answered.

"Well duh! They're friends." Sokka blurted.

"No, I mean… She _likes_ Zuko." Katara said again. "You can tell when she talks about him. Even when Zuko told her to leave him alone she didn't listen and got him to eat anyways. She really cares about him. I'd hate to see her cry over a guy like him though…"

"Yeah…" Aang agreed to the last part, "She doesn't know him like we do…"

Sokka was too confused to say anything.

* * *

Zuko blinked awake once again. He sat up and found himself in the same place as last time. Medicines of all sorts were spread along the floor and the moonlight was shining through the sliding windows. He looked around again and found Kaori asleep next to him. -_What happened? Why's she…? My head hurts too much to think…-_ He felt a cool wash cloth on his forehead and pealed it away form his skin and hair. He sighed and looked back at Kaori. -_She's kind of pretty… whoa… don't go there, Zuko! She's the only real friend you have!-_

Kaori turned from her left shoulder to her right. Her elbow hit some dried out plant and crunched it against the floor. Kaori's eyes shot open and she sat up almost instantly. After she looked around and realized there was nothing wrong she looked at Zuko whom was watching her.

Zuko opened his mouth to say something but before he could get a word out he felt a hot hand swipe him across the face. "…Ow… women shouldn't know how to slap…" He rubbed his cheek.

"Dammit, Zuko." Kaori breathed, trying not to raise her voice or wake her other guests. "Are you TRYING to give me a heart attack?!"

"What are you talking about?" Zuko asked tiredly. Kaori didn't reply, she gathered up some nearby medicines and quickly organized them in their places inside a box. "Kaori, what's wrong with you today?" He asked again with more demand.

Kaori sighed and finished packing up the medicines.

"Kaori." Zuko warned.

"Try to get some rest, Zuko. You really need it if you want to live." She tried to keep her choking voice to minimum towards the end.

Zuko grabbed Kaori by the waist and dragged her to his side, "Kaori, what are you talking about?!"

Kaori gasped when he grabbed her. "…Zuko…" she said after a moment of silence.

He sighed, "Forget it. Just go away."

Kaori couldn't hold back her tears any longer and let them go. "Oh, Zuko." She hugged him tight.

Zuko was completely lost, he didn't know how to react but found himself hugging her back. -_What the hell? Will I really die if I don't do what she says? Why does she care anyways?_-

* * *

"Mm… what's going on?" Toph whispered to Katara, rubbing her eyes. 

"Shh." Katara put a finger to her lips. "Zuko's being a dumb boy and Kaori is crying because she's afraid Zuko won't calm down to heal and he'll die."

"They're in the same room?" Toph asked sensing Kaori's body shiver with silent weeping.

"Yeah, she fell asleep after giving Zuko all the meds he needed." Sokka chimed in.

"Wait… Kaori's got a crush on Zuko?" Toph asked absent mindedly.

"Shh!" Katara and Sokka warned in unison and leaned against the wall to hear the conversation better.

Aang turned in his sleep in a separate room.

* * *

"Kaori…" Zuko whispered after a while. "Please stop crying." Kaori shook her head in disagreement, still holding on to him. "Kaori… I'll do whatever you say; just stop crying." 

"Promise?" She asked into his bare chest.

Zuko sighed and rolled his eyes, "I promise."

"You can't be an adrenaline junkie for a full week at minimum." She said in all seriousness voice, but with tears still on her cheeks.

"But the Ava-" Zuko began.

"Forget about him, Zuko. Just… pretend he isn't here or something. Why do you hate him so much anyways?"

"He's the reason I'm still banished."

"Zuko…"

He sighed, "Azula said at one point that even if I did kill the Avatar, my father still wouldn't restore my honor."

"Didn't you help take control of Ba Sing Se though?"

"Yes, but Azula used me. She said father would restore my honor for helping, but she took all the credit. The Avatar is my only way."

Kaori sighed, "Maybe there's another way… the best way to mend a wound is patience and time, Zuko. If nothing else, please remember that much." Kaori gave a light smile to him.

Zuko just gazed into her eyes. -_This feeling… it… it's strange. But I want more of it…-_

Kaori gave a slight laugh and got up. "Zuko, sometimes I just can't figure you out, you know?"

Zuko didn't reply, the feeling had changed from pleasing to aching.

-_I hope he's ok. He's been acting really strange compared to how he acted before he was banished.-_ "Good night, Zuko." He put her hand on the door as she was about to slide it open.

"Kaori… have you ever been in love?"

Kaori froze inside herself. -_Of course… I am right now…-_ "I wouldn't know. I never had the chance to make something out of a crush."

Zuko looked up at her, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kaori sighed, "Nothing important, I've never been in love. Zuko, this is a question for coffee and you need your rest."

Zuko looked down at his hands, "Fine."

"Thank you." Kaori opened the door and closed it behind herself. She got into the kitchen before she sat down in a chair. "If Zuko doesn't stop acting like this, I'M going to kill the Avatar for him…"

At that moment, Aang strolled into the kitchen for a midnight snack but stopped, one foot in the air as he cranked his head towards Kaori. "W… what?"

Kaori snapped into a more suitable position, "Nothing… what are you doing?"

Aang looked around, "Uh… midnight snack?"

Kaori smiled, "Help yourself then." Aang brightened up and found the biggest thing possible, a watermelon. Kaori offered to cut it up for him. She cut them into pizza shaped pieces for Aang to hold on the green "crust" part of the watermelon. After cutting and cleaning the mess, they sat down to talk.

"Kaori, do you like Zuko?" Aang asked with a bit of ADD.

"Well that was random." Kaori blinked.

"Well do you?"

"Of course I do, he's been my friend since… forever."

"No, I mean, do you _like_ him?" He raised his eyebrows.

Kaori tried not to blush, which is very hard. "Um…"

"You do, don't you?!"

"Lower your voice, Aang. People are sleeping."

"You do, don't you?" He repeated in a whisper.

"What of it?"

"If you like Zuko, why are you helping US?"

"Because this war is stupid."

Aang blinked, "B-but your… you're very confusing."

"This war is the reason Zuko was banished in the first place. Plus Mai likes him as well. Azula hates me and Mai is one of her closest friends; which do you think is better for Zuko?"

Aang couldn't answer. He could lie and tell Kaori she was the better of the two to make her feel better about it. But Aang knew if Zuko and Kaori were to be together, Zuko and her would be in even bigger trouble than they already are. "I… I don't know."

"The answer is Mai. And I'm completely fine with it as long as Zuko's happy."

"What if he doesn't like Mai?"

"Then this conversation has even less a point to make. We can't be together, even if he did like me."

"Why?! Love shouldn't be held back just because of a stupid feud!"

"Because Zuko wants to be prince again. He wants to eventually become the fire lord. If he and I were to get together, his honor would never be restored. It's what he wants and we're better off as just friends."

"But that's not fair!" Aang shouted.

"Why the fuck are you shouting?" Zuko walked into the kitchen with a loose crimson shirt and tan pants.

"Becau-" Aang started.

Kaori glared at Aang. "Because we're talking about the war."

"Right, the war. We were talking about the war." Aang gave a cheesy smile.

Zuko looked from Aang to Kaori, "Right… the war… Maybe you two should hold off on this conversation until tomorrow when everyone is up." He got a cup and filled it with water.

"Agreed." Kaori got up and pushed in the chair she was sitting in.

"Where are you going?" Aang asked.

"To sleep, I need it too. And both of you need a lot of it." Kaori reminded them.

"I don't need sleep to recover." Zuko huffed as he gulped down the water.

"Me neither." Aang crossed his arms.

"And try growing up some while you're both sleeping." Kaori went quickly to her room.

Zuko and Aang looked at the empty doorway then glared at each other. Zuko sat down, across the table from Aang. Aang took a bite of his watermelon as Zuko finished the cup of water.

* * *

Sokka stretched his arms above his head and yawned as he walked into the kitchen. "Whoa…" Zuko and Aang had passed out during their staring contest the night before. Their heads were face down on the table, Aang's face in the watermelon. -_I wonder who went down first…-_

"Good morning, Sokka." Katara chirped. Sokka didn't reply, he was dumbfounded by the sight. Katara walked to him and followed his eyes to the sight as well and gasped, "Aang!"

"What happened?" Toph yawned.

"Aang and Zuko glared each other into exhaustion last night." Kaori gave the gang a warm smile. "Try to be quite though; it's what's best for them."

"I heard you last night when I couldn't go to sleep, you're idea of what's best for things is a little out of whack." Toph opened her mouth too wide.

Kaori's smile faded, "It's logical."

"Well how about some breakfast?" Sokka asked after his stomach growled during the slight silence.

An hour later everyone minus Zuko and Aang were in the family room and sitting around the coffee table. Kaori and Katara prepared a meal similar to the one Kaori had made the day before but with some extra fruits and a bigger quantity. Sokka and Toph dug in while Kaori and Katara ate with a little more poise.

"So what was Aang getting so excited about last night?" Sokka randomly asked with a mouth full of pancakes.

"Nothing important." Kaori said without looking up and took a sip of her coffee.

"He was angry about something though." Sokka pondered to himself.

"Why don't you just tell him? It's not like he'll prance up to Zuko and spill everything." Toph reassured.

"Yeah!" Sokka agreed with Toph.

"Yes he would." Katara sighed as she ate a grape.

"Hey!" Sokka glared at his sister.

"It's nothing important, and better off if fewer people know." Kaori said as she poured herself more coffee.

Aang moaned a little as he blinked awake. -_What happened?-_ He looked up and saw Zuko still passed out on the table. -

"Aang's awake." Toph informed, mostly to Katara. Aang walked into the family room the next second.

"Aang!" Katara yelled and ran over to him and hugged him.

Aang laughed and hugged her back, "How long was I out?"

"Not more than seven hours." Kaori smiled at them as they sat down at the coffee table. "You look a lot better though."

"Where's Zuko?" Sokka asked suspiciously.

"Don't worry about him, he'll be out for quite some time." Kaori said searching the food for something that sparked her appetite.

"Why's that?" Aang asked as he found himself with three pancakes with plenty of butter and syrup in them.

"Because his condition is far worse than yours." Kaori said sternly.

"Oh…" Aang said and dug into his food.

"Someone's at the door…" Toph said, "And they don't sound friendly." She got up.

They all looked at her before they heard a knock of the door.

-_Oh no… Zuko…-_ "No one move, I'll get it." Kaori whispered under her breath before she got up as the door knocked again. "Coming!" She yelled to the door and ran to the little room and slipped on her sandals.

The gang exchanged concerned faces as the new guests knocked once again.

"I said I was coming!" Kaori said as she closed the door that shut out the rest of the house and opened the door being knocked on. Kaori's heart skipped a beat.

"Good morning, Kaori. My brother has somehow snuck back into the fire nation. Have you seen him?"

* * *

**Freddy: I can't believe you ranted about ADD and ADHD...**

**Rhea: BELIEVE IT! ****Hope you liked it, please review!**


	4. Some Unwanted Visitors

**Rhea: YES! I finally finished this chapter**

**Freddy: -gives slow clap-**

**Rhea: Oh shut up**

**Freddy: I didn't say anything...**

**Rhea: Yeah but I kno what you want to say!**

* * *

Kaori smiled wearily, "Oh… Azula, how are you?"

"Just fine, may I come in?" Azula tried to come into the house.

"Um, in a couple of minutes, just let me clean up some, okay?" Kaori closed and locked the door and ran back to the room everyone else was in.

"Who was it?" Aang asked in a whisper.

"Azula, she's looking for Zuko. Sokka, you and Aang try and carry him out through the tunnel Toph and Aang made to feed that bison. If he wakes up, tell him that I said for him to not do anything but walk and sit; tell him he's not allowed to do anything else. I'll invite them in long enough for them to search the place and you guys to get away," Kaori tried to explain under a rushed voice.

They all got up to escape, Katara filled her water jug and Toph gently moved away the ground that led to the tunnel. Sokka and Aang had to use all their strength to pick up the unconscious Zuko. After they all got into the tunnel, Toph quickly and quietly filled the entrance to the tunnel. Kaori ran and quickly put things in place and ran back to the door and unlocked it just before Azula kicked it down.

"How rude of you to keep a princess waiting," Azula said as Mai and Ty Lee walked in after her.

"My apologies then, but it would be even more disrespectful for you to have seen my house in a mess," Kaori said shyly.

"This is a cute little house, isn't it?" Azula said as she sat down at the table.

"This place is really plain," Mai said as she sat down to the right of Azula.

"Well, I like it. It's nice and cozy and- Oh my, gosh! Look at her back yard!" Ty Lee ran to the sliding door and opened it.

Kaori sat down across from Mai and poured tea for everyone. Ty Lee sat down next to Kaori and started munching on the food.

"This is an awfully big meal for one, tiny woman," Azula said, lifting an eyebrow.

"Some of my old patients were supposed to come back today for a checkup, but obviously they realized I'm busy with the princess's company and they decided not to bother you." Kaori lied through her teeth easily.

"That sucks," Mai retorted.

"You never answered my question, Kaori; have you seen my brother?" Azula kept her purpose quick and simple.

"Wasn't he banished?" Kaori asked as if she could hardly remember the boy.

"Yes; but he snuck back in." Azula replied sternly.

"Oh… well no, I haven't seen him." Kaori shrugged.

Ty Lee reached in between Azula and Kaori for a muffin as Mai shook her head at Ty Lee's eating habits.

"You know Kaori; you're hardly a citizen out in this forest by your lonesome. And you're rather young for your profession." Azula pointed out, "How old are you, seventeen… eighteen?"

Kaori silently looked at Azula for a moment, "…Sixteen," She replied after a while.

"Oh," Azula acted a little shocked, "What is it you do again?"

"I'm an authorized out-patient therapist and doctor." Kaori replied calmly as if it were nothing.

"Hmm… I thought doctors didn't get to start their practice until their mid twenties…" Azula thought out loud.

"I got my PHD when I was fourteen," Kaori noted, "Let's just say I never had any breaks from schooling and the fact that I was homeschooled, my mother forced me into having twice the schooling as a normal person. She thought she could have me get a PHD before her disease caught up with her."

"Oh, I see now…" Azula replied, "Where is your mother?"

"She's dead," Kaori said blankly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Ty Lee shouted, "All that school for nothing…"

Kaori looked over to Ty Lee, "Don't be, she was kidding herself. She died two days before I graduated with the PHD."

"Well, I think we've overstayed our welcome girls," Azula stood up and so did Mai and Ty Lee. "We thank you for your kind hospitality." Azula said before seeking her way out.

"Sure…" Kaori replied before getting up and following them to the door.

Azula walked out after her two friends and turned around to Kaori, "Oh, and Kaori?"

"Yes?" Kaori mentally groaned.

"If you do see Zuko, please keep him here and contact me immediately, okay?" Azula instructed.

"Sure thing," Kaori replied wearily.

Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee started to walk away. Kaori sighed, closed and locked the door before returning once again to the table and cleaning up after them; leaving the food Ty Lee didn't touch for her refugees.

"Do you think it's safe to go back yet?" Katara asked the others in a whisper.

"No, they're almost right above us, no one make a sound," Toph informed.

Aang shifted under Zuko's weight a little then looked around. –_I can't see a thing! Now would be a good time to be able to fire bend…-_ Aang frowned in the darkness.

-_Ooh! Squishy…-_ Sokka thought as his finger poked a warm, sticky substance.

Zuko moaned and blinked into darkness, "What the hell?" He mumbled before taking his arm off of the unfamiliar shadow of Sokka. Zuko created a small fire in his hand to see what was going on. The flame lit up the faces of the group and then some.

Sokka, still looking and poking at the substance realized what it was and screeched, "Ehk! Ew! That's Gross!" Sokka tried to wipe the shit off of his finger onto Appa.

"What was that?" Azula stopped her group right above the air socket.

Katara looked over to Sokka, "Sokka!" She whispered.

"What the hell's going on here?!" Zuko asked bluntly.

"Below us," Mai discovered the source of the voices.

Azula found the hole in the ground that provided air to those below. She grinned and walked over to the hole and looked down, "Ooh! I see fire down there girls, It's like killing two birds with one stone." Her voice echoed down into the air pit.

"They found us," Katara gritted.

Zuko looked up at the hole, "She's going to burn us out."

"What's that mean?" Sokka asked like a retarded.

"It means she's going to fill this pit with fire and we're all going to die if we don't get out of here," Zuko said calmly.

Aang looked to Appa and then to Katara as Momo jumped onto his shoulder, "What are we gonna do?"

* * *

Kaori twitched and decided to check up on the group and tell them it was safe to come back. She walked towards the pit and stopped short when she saw Azula talking into the hole. –_Oh shit…-_

Zuko looked up out of the hole as the bright light emitting from the sun blinded him. He squinted as Azula looked back into the hole so the siblings were face to face, "Hi, Zuko," she grinned. "Daddy's very upset with you."

"I can imagine," Zuko replied. –_Now would be a good time for Uncle to be here…-_

"I'm going to burn you out now, okay?" Azula informed.

"Oh, no, she isn't," Toph replied then covered the hole with a rock she peeled out of the side of the pit.

"So what are we gonna do, just sit here?!" Zuko asked annoyed.

"Uh, duh," Toph replied, "Besides, Miss Kaori said you weren't allowed to do anything at all, not even fire bend."

"Which, by the way, we should fix," Sokka said quickly before taking some of the hay Appa was munching on and stuck it into the fire Zuko was holding. "Tada, now Zuko has to drop that ball of fire."

Zuko groaned and let the fire in his hand evaporate, "What did she say I WAS allowed to do?"

"Um… Sit and walk. She emphasized that you weren't supposed to talk and I'm sure she's stated several times for you not to fire bend." Katara answered shyly.

Zuko groaned and sat down roughly. Aang smiled at him, "She told me I wasn't allowed to bend either."

"Are you all high?" Zuko asked sketchily.

"Yup! At least, Kaori says I am, the medicines she gives us, the ones that are supposed to get rid of this poison stuff, it's supposed to make us calm and sleepy too." Aang said with a smile.

"Yeah, then what's Zuko's excuse?" Sokka joked. Zuko glared at Sokka.

* * *

Kaori calmly walked over to Azula, not entirely sure what she was doing. "Azula, what are you doing?"

Azula looked up at Kaori, "Zuko is hiding under the ground, did you know about that?"

"No," Kaori lifter her eyebrows to act more surprised, "why didn't you just burn them out?"

"Because I can't," Azula growled, "they covered their air hole; now all we have to do is wait until they need air."

Kaori looked down at the covered air hole and dug her shoe into the ground, "Who else is in there?"

Azula thought for a moment, "I know that little earth bender girl is down there, she's with the avatar."

"The avatar?" Kaori asked, "I thought Zuko was supposed to be seeking and killing the avatar."

"He is," Azula groaned.

Kaori looked around a little more, "Wait… if there are earth benders down there, wouldn't thy just make a tunnel that goes somewhere else where they can escape while you're sitting here waiting on people who've already left?"

* * *

**Rhea: Thanks for taking the time to read it and please be nice and review.  
**

* * *


	5. I'M BACK!

YO! Long time no see, eh? Bad stuff happened. Let's not go there.

BUT I'M BACK! DID YOU MISS ME?

Long story short, Forgot how to get into this account so I made a new one.

Plus the email associated with this account has been wipe off the face of the earth. idk how but it did o.O

COME CHECK IT OUT! MY NAME IS:

GoodEnoughTheOpenDoor

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

That is, if any of you guys are still around :P

Love,

Rhea

* * *

oh yeah, one more thing, if you think I should revive this story, let me know! ;)


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